A Queanbeyan pub has welcomed tougher restrictions as the state grapples with an expanding outbreak linked to a Sydney venue.
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Hotel Queanbeyan publican Mathew Griffin has been trying to stay a step ahead of the virus, for fear of what an outbreak would mean for his business, and community.
"I don't want the stigma of a COVID outbreak at my venue, I don't want staff to have to be put off, and I'm concerned for the health of the people in my area," he said.
There has been 30 cases of COVID-19 which have been linked to Casula's Crossroads Hotel as NSW Police investigate the venue's conduct.
It prompted NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to announce stricter rules for pubs to come into force from 12.01am Friday, including stationing "hygiene marshalls" in venues to ensure social distancing.
Bookings will be limited to 10 people and large venues can have a maximum of 300. Previously they were allowed one person per four-square-metres.
Contact details of all patrons must be collected, rather than one person per group, and kept electronically.
"[The Australian Hotel Association's] advice to us was that if you reduce bookings from 20 to 10, it reduces the likelihood for people who may mingle," Ms Berejiklian said.
"We know from the health advice we've received from the beginning of the pandemic that indoor activity, where people aren't seated, is a huge health risk. It increases the chance of transmission."
NSW AHA chief executive John Whelan said the industry had "learnt a lesson" from venues doing the wrong thing, including a Jindabyne hotel which was shutdown for coronavirus rule breaches.
"The obligation is on the venue, you need to do the right thing," he said.
Mr Griffin supported the changes but said his venue had already implemented most of the requirements.
"On July 1 they said only one person per group needs to sign-in, instead of every person," he said.
"But we continued to make every person sign-in."
He admitted it was difficult to ensure patrons were keeping a 1.5m distance when they were drinking.
"Sometimes when you add alcohol and people out at a venue, they forget the laws pretty quickly," he said.
The venue will offer table service only to limit movement, and update social media when they reach capacity.
"So people don't come here and line up outside. Venues need to communicate more with their patrons," Mr Griffin said.
Across the border, King O'Malley's managing director Peter Barclay wanted to see the ACT government implement similar rules in Canberra pubs.
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"We're so closely aligned to NSW," he said.
"To have consistent guidelines is probably very useful because we do get interstate travellers."
Due to the unfolding situation in NSW, King O'Malley's recently scrapped live music and implemented temperature checks on all staff.
"In light of what's happened in NSW we've decided to take it a little bit cautiously," Mr Barclay said.